Hainanese Chicken Rice

Wenchang, a city in Hainan Province, is the birthplace of Hainanese Chicken Rice. The main ingredients of this dish are chicken and rice, and the primary cooking method is poaching. Wenchang chicken, the key ingredient, is renowned for its light yellow, glossy skin, crispy texture, tender and flavorful meat, and exceptionally smooth and fragrant taste.

In the past, during festivals and celebrations, people in Hainan would use poached chicken and rice balls for ancestral worship. After the rituals, the food would be enjoyed by the family.

Hainanese Chicken Rice features tender and flavorful chicken, which has a mild taste making it versatile for various dishes. However, the real highlight is the rice. Cooked in the broth from poaching the chicken, the rice is rich in flavor and perfectly complemented by three different dipping sauces. If you're interested, it's definitely worth learning how to make this delicious dish!

1.What is Hainanese Chicken Rice?

Hainanese Chicken Rice is a dish that features chicken and rice as the main ingredients. The chicken is gently poached, and the rice is cooked in the flavorful broth from poaching the chicken. It is typically served with a ginger-garlic chili sauce and a side soup made from the poaching broth. This dish originates from Wenchang in Hainan Province, China, and is a traditional specialty of Hainan cuisine.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a wave of Hainanese people migrating to Southeast Asia brought this dish with them. Today, Hainanese Chicken Rice has become a popular and beloved dish in countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. The authentic version of this dish uses Wenchang chicken, known for its tender and flavorful meat.

2.What Makes Hainanese Chicken Rice Special?

While the name might suggest that chicken is the star of the dish, the rice in Hainanese Chicken Rice is equally important. Unlike regular white rice, this rice is cooked with chicken fat and chicken broth, giving it a rich, golden color and an incredibly enticing aroma.

3.How to Make the Three Dipping Sauces for Hainanese Chicken Rice?

①Cantonese Black Soy Sauce:Ingredients include 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, and an equal amount of water. To make the sauce, heat the sugar over low heat until the edges melt, add the dark soy sauce and an equal amount of water, and cook until the sugar melts and the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat to make the sauce.

②Chili Sauce:Ingredients include 10g ginger, half an onion, 2 morning glory chili peppers, the right amount of garlic, 2 tablespoons of chicken broth, 1 small spoon of lime juice and the right amount of salt. To make the sauce, puree the minced ginger, minced onion, garlic and half of the sliced chili peppers, add 2 tablespoons of boiling chicken broth, and season with lime juice and salt to taste.

③Ginger paste:Ingredients include 40g of ginger, moderate amount of salt, moderate amount of chicken essence, half a spoon of garlic oil. The method is to make ginger into a paste, add a little salt and MSG, then add garlic oil and stir well to make ginger sauce.

These three sauces can be used together to enhance the flavors of Hainanese Chicken Rice, offering a mix of savory, fragrant, and spicy tastes. However, if you prefer a simpler approach, you can customize your own dipping sauce based on your usual preferences.

4.How to Render Chicken Fat?

①Put the chicken fat into a pot of boiling water for a quick blanch to remove some moisture and any unwanted flavors. Then, heat an empty pot over medium heat until it's hot. Add the blanched chicken fat, ginger pieces, and scallion sections into the heated pot. Render the fat over low heat, stirring occasionally. Once the fat has been rendered and turned into liquid form, remove any solid residue to obtain the clear chicken fat.

②Put the blanched chicken fat into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and add scallion sections and ginger pieces. Simmer together until the fat has been rendered and the water content has reduced slightly. Filter out any residue to obtain the finished product.

③After blanching the chicken fat, place it in a bowl with ginger pieces and seal it tightly. Steam it until melted, then remove and let it cool slightly. Skim off the fat from the top to obtain the finished product. This method yields chicken fat with higher moisture content and a richer flavor, but it may retain a slight odor.

5.How to Enjoy Hainanese Chicken Rice?

Everyone may eat it differently. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to enjoying Hainanese Chicken Rice. Some people like to pour all three sauces directly over the chicken and rice for an explosion of flavor, while others prefer to dip each bite into the sauces individually, savoring the different flavors with each mouthful. Ultimately, it's all about personal preference and enjoying the dish in a way that suits your taste buds. Whether you like your chicken rice saucy or prefer a more subtle approach, the most important thing is to savor every delicious bite according to your own taste preferences.

The most irresistible temptation of Hainanese Chicken Rice lies in its golden, glistening chicken skin. No one can resist tearing into that succulent chicken skin alongside the tender meat, sending it into their mouth. The crisp skin, smooth meat, and subtle sweetness with a hint of chicken flavor create an undeniable feeling of happiness with every mouthful of meat. Today, I'll teach you how to make this simple, authentic, and delicious Hainanese Chicken Rice at home.